Local authorities must reopen their development plans and complete rezoning of land for housing before the end of the year, the housing minister has said.
James Browne confirmed he would seek councils to expand the amount of land available for housing, as the Government attempts to hit formally approved housing targets of an average of 50,500 per year.
“I don’t see any reason why we won’t be able to access this land by the end of the year,” Mr Browne said.
Mr Browne’s order comes after the Government approved the revised National Planning Framework on Tuesday, which is a high-level plan for strategic development and planning across the country.
The plan itself sets out Ireland’s housing ambition between 2025 and 2030, with a target of 303,000 new houses at the end of that period.
According to the framework, 50% of development will be targeted within Ireland’s five cities — Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford — while the remaining 50% will be in villages, towns and rural areas across the country.
Mr Browne said there was a requirement for the framework to first be approved by the Dáil and Seanad, but once this was completed he would issue a planning directive for all local authorities to examine their local development plans.
“The local authorities can do it quite quickly and I expect to see local authorities move with the urgency that I’m moving with and that the people who will be watching this expect the urgency so we can deliver those homes that we need,” Mr Browne said.
He said there was an element of consultation required as part of reopening local development plans to zone more residential land, but councillors could pass the revised plans fast.
“I don’t think anybody wants to see any delay by these local authorities.”
Asked if he could place a deadline on local authorities changing their plans, Mr Browne said it would be “very challenging” to do so.
“However, I think any local authority that delays on this, I think will be seeing the wrath of the public very quickly,” Mr Browne said.
Mr Browne was pressed on concerns heard at a major housing conference that just 25,000 houses could be built by the end of the year, saying it was too early for predictions.
However, he acknowledged concerns after figures for 2024 were “very disappointing”.
“You’ll have a better sense of it maybe halfway through the year, usually see a lot of properties come on through the back end of it [year],” Mr Browne said.
Business lobby group Ibec welcomed the revised NPF, calling for “swift and effective” implementation of the plan at local level, crucial to deliver housing.
Meanwhile, Mr Browne confirmed a delay to approval of legislation to regulate short-term lets, saying “fine tuning” of the bill must take place first.
Mr Browne said he “fully" expected it to pass through Cabinet next week, adding regulations of short-term lets were “essential”.
The plan will see significant restrictions on short-term lets.
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